Seizing Tomorrow requires a proactive approach to shaping the future, focusing on identifying emerging trends, innovations, and shifts in the business landscape. It encourages entrepreneurs and early-stage investors to not just react to change but to take decisive action, positioning themselves to lead and thrive in an ever-evolving world. This approach emphasizes the importance of long-term vision, seeing opportunities in the face of challenges, and making bold moves to drive industry transformation.
As we look to the future, New Zealand's unique position in the Pacific, its innovative industries, and its strong cultural values present immense opportunities for growth and collaboration. By focusing on creating and growing new markets, means we must be talking about the need to iterate, validate, and optimize in order to seize these opportunities, all while staying true to New Zealand's strengths and values. "Seizing Tomorrow" is about fostering a collective mindset of opportunity, collaboration, and long-term success, with a focus on bold, strategic actions for a prosperous future.
Our lineup of speakers will share insights on how they've anticipated the future, the key decisions that shaped their path with the benefit of hindsight, and how they continue to adapt and evolve their strategies as the future unfolds across a range of different industries and markets.
The 2025 Summit is being held at Bangor Farm, Darfield approximately 40 minutes' drive from central Christchurch in a beautiful, relaxed country setting.
In this session, we'll explore what defines an "A company," focusing on the differences in talent, structure, and mindset between U.S. and New Zealand companies. While New Zealand often lags behind the U.S. in investment pace and strategic ambition, there’s significant potential to grow by adopting global best practices. This discussion will focus on insights to build high-performing teams that can lead in both local and global markets, while staying true to New Zealand’s unique strengths.
Untouched World will share how they disrupted their industry by seizing the opportunity to innovate and build a sustainable brand. Their journey highlights the power of bold, strategic decisions in driving industry transformation and creating long-term success. By focusing on innovation and sustainability, they’ll provide valuable insights on how to lead and thrive in an ever-evolving market.
In this session, three New Zealand companies will share pivotal transition points that shaped their growth trajectories. Through firsthand insights, they’ll reveal the challenges and key decisions that fuelled their success, offering valuable lessons for navigating critical turning points. These stories will highlight how seizing opportunities and making bold, strategic moves can lead to long-term industry transformation and growth.
In this session, we’ll explore how Iwi are increasingly playing a vital role in the early-stage investment landscape. We’ll discuss how Iwi’s unique perspectives, values, and long-term vision offer exciting opportunities for collaboration, and how investors can work alongside Iwi to unlock shared growth and success. This conversation will highlight the power of partnership, aligning financial goals with cultural values for impactful, sustainable investment.
In this session, Connor Archbold, founder of Tracksuit, will share how he capitalized on the perfect market conditions in 2021 to launch a brand tracking business. He’ll discuss the bold decisions made, how they stayed focused on their core principles amidst distractions, and the key lessons and mistakes learned in the process. This session offers valuable insights into seizing opportunities, navigating growth challenges, and making strategic moves to thrive in a rapidly evolving business landscape.
In this session, we’ll explore how investing in startups is strikingly similar to investing in movies—both require a keen eye for talent, a strong vision, and an understanding of high-risk, high-reward scenarios. Just as a movie project can be a hit or miss, so too can early-stage ventures, with uncertainty at every turn. We’ll dive into how to assess and navigate these risks, and how the right investment decisions can lead to industry-defining success.
In this debate session, we will discuss what New Zealand needs to look like in five years and the critical steps we must take to get there. From bold policy shifts to adopting new technologies and business practices, we’ll explore the key changes necessary to drive sustainable growth, innovation, and global competitiveness. The debate will offer diverse perspectives on how to seize opportunities and navigate challenges to ensure New Zealand is ready for the future.